A Time To Live
by Aria6
Summary: An idea I got that was just too interesting to pass by... Axel is trapped in a loveless marriage and decides to go have the time of his life. But what is he hiding? Axel/Roxas, this might have a very sad ending or a very happy one, I haven't decided.
1. Chapter 1

Axel twisted the golden band on his ring finger thoughtfully. For a moment, he debated taking it off. Even throwing it away. But it was a beautifully made ring, white gold set with black diamonds in an intricate pattern. Then a thought came to him and he smiled slowly, leaving the ring in place. He was in the mood for something dangerous and a bit dirty. The kind of person who wouldn't be deterred by the ring was the kind he wanted, especially in his current circumstances. The phone rang and Axel checked the caller ID before answering.

"Hi dad." Axel's lips twisted into a rueful smile as he listened to the voice at the other end of the phone. "I know." He walked over to the window, looking out over the garden. It was a beautiful day outside. Normally he wouldn't have cared but today wasn't at all normal. "Sorry. I know, an e-mail was impersonal but I was in a bit of shock." Axel listened, head tilted to one side. "I know… hang on a sec, I want to go outside." Slipping on a small headset he stepped out of the house, walking over to the lilac bushes to smell the flowers. The lilacs were in full bloom and their heady scent filled the air. Axel closed his eyes as he sniffed them. "I'll definitely come by to see you dad. But not right away if that's alright. I'd like to give mom a bit of time to settle down." Axel glanced over the garden, vaguely aware that he hadn't really looked at it in years. It was a very pretty garden, professionally landscaped and maintained by a company his wife had hired. "No, I'm not going to tell her. Tell mom to zip her lips." Axel walked slowly through the garden, and paused, a bit startled as he found a pond. When had they put in a koi pond? Looking in the water he saw the golden fish swimming through the well-tended waters. "I know dad. But if I do it will be all about her feelings and I'll have to spend time coddling her." Axel knelt down, running his hand through the cool water. "It's not your fault. If Cinny had lived… well, maybe things would have been different. Just make sure mom doesn't blow it, okay?" Axel paused a moment, looking up at the sky. It was so blue and there were only a few fluffy clouds. It reminded him of the sky in a video game and he grinned. That had to be the mark of a true computer geek. "I'm going to go do things dad. Things I've never done before. I'll come by to see you in a couple months, okay?" Axel pushed himself up and resumed walking through the garden, pausing at the rose bushes to smell the flowers. Unfortunately the pretty white flowers really didn't have much of a scent. "Right. Talk to you later dad." Axel flipped off the headset and felt the air on his face for a moment. The air was full of the warm scents of flowers and living things.

"What should I do?" Axel murmured to himself, digging a foot into the ground. There were so many things he'd never done. Never really wanted to do, if he was being honest with himself. But priorities changed and now he had an urge for something new. "Sky diving." He murmured to himself. He'd never done THAT, for certain. It would make a good start. Decided, he walked back to the house and quickly wrote out a note to his wife.

_Larxene,_

_I'm going on a sabbatical. Will be gone a year. Reach me at the usual number if there's any problems._

_-Axel_

Axel paused, rubbing his head for a moment. He knew that for any normal man and wife, that letter would be horrible. But Larxene would just accept it. Their relationship was not normal by any standard. They had been young and in love and stupid, and had gotten married when Larxene had come down pregnant. Their parents would have insisted on it but, truthfully, it wouldn't have taken much. It was what they had wanted and they'd had so many dreams of how the future would be.

At first, those dreams had seemed to be coming true. Axel could remember the joy they'd both taken in their daughter. Her name had been Alexi but her hair had been a warm brown so they had nick-named her Cinnamon, which had been shortened to Cinny. She had been beautiful, bright and happy. The light of both their lives.

Until the accident. Axel still flinched a little when he thought of it. It had been just an accident… children playing in the schoolyard, under supervision by the teacher. The boys had been running around as usual and one of them had run into Cinny. She'd fallen and landed on a rock, hitting the back of her head. It should have been just a concussion, just a nuisance. But she'd hit it just the wrong way and had fractured something… Axel could only remember the doctor explaining it was a tragic accident. No one to blame, no one at fault, just the wrong time and wrong place…

Nothing had been the same after that. He and Larxene had both mourned but that mourning had not drawn them closer. Instead, they had drifted apart, probably because aside from their daughter they really hadn't had much in common. And in one of the great ironies of life, that bad luck had been followed by fortune. Axel's cousin was an amateur geologist and had become certain one particular part of the country held emeralds. Axel hadn't really believed it, but the college fund they'd been setting aside for Cinny was just a painful reminder of their loss, so he'd given it to his cousin. Larxene hadn't objected, hadn't cared. And his cousin had been right. Their investment had been returned a thousand fold, and after that it seemed like they could do no wrong, business wise. Everything they touched turned to gold… and it meant nothing.

Shaking his head, Axel stepped back from the table and went to research skydiving companies.

It was far past time for a change.

* * *

"I can't believe you talked me into this."

"Shut up Paul." Roxas said casually, clicking the barbell in his tongue against his teeth as he looked at his current partner. He was an older man with dark brown hair, watery eyes and a weak chin. He was good in bed but hopelessly timid and Roxas was tired of him already, although it had been only a week. "Just relax. Take deep breaths." He suggested without really caring. "It'll be over soon."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Paul muttered and Roxas snickered, amused. There was a low laugh and he looked up, meeting the bright green eyes of the man sitting across from them.

"Remember, it's not the fall that kills you. It's the stop at the end." He advised and Roxas laughed as Paul grimaced. Interested, the blonde examined the man. He was older, quite a lot older if Roxas was any judge. That aroused his interest and Roxas looked for any signs of wealth. The gold ring on his finger caught the blonde's eyes and he smiled, slowly. Married with an expensive ring. Perfect.

Roxas was young, beautiful and not doing a lot with life. That was fine though. He was using his looks and his charm to butter up sugar daddies. Almost all married, with at least decent assets, they were more than willing to buy their short term lover clothes and pretties. They paid his rent, sort of… he sometimes lived with his mother, sometimes his boyfriends. He enjoyed danger as well, and that was why he'd talked Paul into paying for the skydiving trip. It would be a nice finale to their relationship.

"Axel, right?" Roxas asked, well aware that it was the other man's name. They had gone through the introduction together. It had been short, only a half hour, but they were tandem jumping with experienced partners. There was almost no risk to them despite Paul's trepidation. "You from around here?"

"Oh no. I'm from Cedar Point." Roxas' interest sharpened at that reply. That was a small coastal town notorious for it's very expensive villas by the sea. Excellent. "Taking a year long sabbatical from my marriage." Roxas blinked and then laughed, vaguely aware of several people on the plane giving Axel strange looks.

"It's time." Roxas turned his attention away, standing up. There were six of them doing the tandem dives, and he was first. Roxas took a deep breath, striving for calm. He'd make the jump and then see about hooking up with a hot redhead.

He wanted something new.

* * *

"That was amazing!" Axel grinned like a maniac, flushed with success. His first skydive had gone off without a hitch. The way the air pushed at him, the noise, had been amazing. Then the jerk of the chute grabbing him and then the peace of it as they drifted down. That part had been almost meditative.

"We should do it again!" The blonde boy said brightly. The older man by his side shook his head. Axel glanced at him, amused by his obvious relief to be on the ground. Clearly he wasn't a daredevil of any sort and it made Axel wonder why he was here. Was the kid his son?

"Nah, not for me." Axel made a quick decision. "I want to try something new. Maybe race car driving." Roxas smiled at him, stepping close for a moment.

"I've never done that. If you need a partner or anything, look me up." He murmured in a low tone and Axel didn't miss the sudden flash of hostility on the brown haired man's face. Not father and son, oh no. Axel blinked as the boy took his hand, pressing a piece of paper into his palm. "I'll be waiting… but not too long."

"I'll think about it." Axel murmured softly, captivated by bright blue eyes. Roxas smiled again and ran his thumb over the back of Axel's hand as he pulled away.

Only a small part of the redhead's mind was on the rest of the tasks after the sky dive. The rest of him was thinking about that young man, watching him occasionally from the corner of his eye. Roxas and the brown haired man were lovers, he was sure of it, and they were in the middle of a quiet but heated argument as they worked. Axel mused about the overtures the blonde had made. A man? He'd never been with a man in his life although he'd occasionally felt attraction. He'd just chosen not to act on it, mostly because of how his parents would react. His marriage to Larxene had been dead for years and he'd had plenty of one-night stands, but only with women. It didn't really matter how his mom and dad would feel about a male partner though, not anymore.

"Something new." Axel murmured to himself, smiling as he noticed Roxas had a few tattoos. The blonde liked his idea of race car driving. What else would he be willing to do? It would be a lot more fun to have some company in his voyage of discovery. A torrid romance the likes of which he hadn't experienced since his early days with Larxene. A whirlwind affair. And why not? Larxene had been having an affair for years.

He needed an adventure.

* * *

"I know dad." Axel sighed as he searched online for a place that gave race car lessons. "Really. I'll be home in a month or so. Stop fretting - I'm sorry." Axel said contritely as he examined a website and clicked on the FAQ. "I don't mean to - uh -" Axel had to suppress a snort of laughter as he read the bit about 'has anyone ever wet their pants'? Whoever had written the FAQ clearly had a sense of humor. He flicked over to the address and opened Google maps in another tab. "Yes, I know. Really, I do. Tell mom I'll be there soon, I just need some time to come to terms with things." Axel leaned back for a moment, rubbing his forehead. "Dad… that won't make anything better. Please talk to her for me. Please?" A pause as Axel clicked on a map. "Thanks." Pulling the headset off he reached for a bottle, shaking out a few pills absently as he looked at the map. "Arizona? Hmm." Would Roxas want to go to Arizona? And that reminded him. "Oh yeah." Flicking the headset back on he dialled the number on the paper Roxas had given him. "Hi Roxas. It's me, Axel." Axel smiled to himself as he listened to a few meaningless pleasantries. "Good to hear you too. Say, I was wondering if you'd like to go out somewhere tonight? Maybe a bar, maybe a nice restaurant, that sort of thing." Axel paused, listening, then opened a new tab as Roxas talked. "Mmm hmm, the Crematorium? Odd name for a restaurant - oh, it's a club too?" Axel chuckled as he pulled up the website and saw they specialized in flambé and flaming drinks. "This sounds… entertaining." Another page showed him a view of the stage, with a man juggling lit torches. Axel idly wondered if they were up to code for that, then decided he didn't care. Not in the slightest bit. "I could pick you up. Will your boyfriend be a problem?" Not that he cared about that either, he just wanted to be ready with a roll of coins if that was the case. "Ah, good. Where do you live?" Axel noted down the address, smiling. "I'll pick you up by seven. Later Roxas." Humming to himself, he flicked off the headset and began searching for tourist attractions in Arizona. If they did end up going there, he wanted to see what was available besides the race track with an amusing FAQ. He wanted to explore as much as he could in the least amount of time.

Money could buy many things in the world, but it could only buy so much time.


	2. The Crematorium

"The Crematorium." Axel ran the words over his tongue and decided he liked the taste. They suited him, in so many ways. "Hmm." He stood still for a moment on the sidewalk, ignoring the other pedestrians walking past. The Crematorium was an impressive place, made out of brownish grey bricks that looked like they'd been through a fire sometime in the last century. Axel vaguely wondered how they'd gotten that color. The lamps flanking the doorway were set in red glass, shedding a malignant glow over the jet black door and the black letters above. The stark modern letters were also backlit with more red lights and Axel smiled approvingly before he walked up to the door and confidently went inside. As he opened the door he was met with a blast of heat. There was laughter, pounding music and the scent of burning wax as he stepped into the club. Axel glanced around as he mouthed meaningless pleasantries to a hostess and let another take his coat. It was very easy to spot his table. Roxas was already there, sampling something pink and frothy. Axel was surprised it wasn't on fire.

Everything else was. Torches and candles were everywhere, and Axel watched, fascinated, as a soup was lit on fire near him. Soup? The rice or barley cakes in it sunk with a sizzling sound and the waiter waited for the flames to subside for he ladled out the soup. Shrugging to himself, Axel made his way to the table, grabbing a jet black chair with bright red padding and taking a seat. Roxas looked up from his drink with a smile.

"Good. I thought maybe you were going to stand me up." He said as if he didn't really care, and Axel quirked an eyebrow at him for a moment. The blonde was a bit odd.

"I would never do something that rude." Axel said lightly before ordering a bourbon for himself and glancing over at the stage. "This is one amazing place. How did you find it?"

"A boyfriend brought me here." Roxas said simply. Then he smiled, a wicked gleam in his eye. "I hope you can afford it. It ain't cheap."

"Oh, I think I can manage." Axel said lightly before tilting his head, regarding Roxas thoughtfully. "I was wondering… how old are you?" That 'ain't' made Axel suspect the blonde was younger than he'd thought. Although he hadn't really tried to estimate his age. Roxas shrugged and reached up, brushing back a bit of hair from his face. Axel was fascinated by the heavy rings he was wearing and the line of a tattoo, barely visible under his sleeve.

"Eighteen. Just left hell for good last year." Axel chuckled at that. He'd felt much the same way about high school. Roxas smiled again and held out a card to him. "Want the drink menu?"

"Oh yes." Axel took it and began looking over the drinks, wondering if he could find one they set on fire. "My daughter would have been only a few years younger than you." Axel murmured, unable to keep the sadness out of his voice. Roxas rolled his eyes, clicking his barbell against his teeth.

"Way to ruin the mood, granddad." Axel choked at that, then laughed. Roxas smiled at the sound. "What do you do for a living, anyway? Investment banker? Lawyer? Used car salesman?"

"Nothing that reputable. I'm a politician." Axel said with a straight face then grinned as Roxas snorted his drink. "No, I lie. Investment banker is pretty close actually. I play the stock market sometimes. My portfolio is doing very well…. Well enough to fund a year long vacation from the missus." Roxas laughed and Axel leaned back, enjoying the sound. The blonde had a very nice laugh, clear and clean. It was a young, carefree sound and it made him remember the time he'd been that young and free. "I was wondering Roxas. Would you like to go to Arizona?" The waitress came by and Axel quickly an order for two Backdrafts

"You know they're going to set that on fire, right?" Roxas asked and Axel nodded with a grin.

"Flambe at my table! I'd eat shit on a shingle if it was flambé at my table!" He proclaimed and Roxas snorted, polishing off his drink.

"You totally stole that from Stephen King." Roxas scoffed and Axel shrugged with a smile. That was absolutely true.

"He's not using it - ah!" The drinks came back quickly and true to Roxas' prediction, the waitress expertly lit them on fire then used a pair of special coasters to put them out and contain the fumes. Then she poked straws through so they could drink both the liquid and the vapor. "Fascinating idea." Axel tried the drink and found it was very potent. But then, the menu had mentioned that it had 151 in it. "We should order a Blue Blazer after this." That was whisky and water. Axel wasn't really that fond of whisky, but the preparation said the waitress would pour it from glass to glass, creating a trail of blue flame. Axel was interested in seeing that and hoped the wait staff had special training. But surely they did, handling this much flame.

"I've never tried that one. So how about the food granddad?" Roxas said with a grin and Axel smiled, glancing over the menu. He wanted some of that sizzling soup. "Skip the appetizer. Let's get the Steak Diane." Roxas jabbed a finger at the menu and Axel glanced down at that before nodding.

"It sounds excellent." He could skip the soup for now. It would leave more room for dessert and Axel had his eye on the Flaming Turtle Fondue. It looked like the most decadent dessert he'd ever seen, all chocolate and caramel with run to set it on fire, with cheesecake, pound cake and fruits to dip in. "Let's get that."

The rest of the meal was absolutely wonderful. Axel vaguely wished he'd discovered this restaurant years ago, but then, he hadn't eaten out much until recently. The waitress made a show of the steaks, setting them on fire tableside. The steaks came with smooth, buttery mashed potatoes and vegetables that had been artistically charred. The dessert was just as good a show, with the waitress setting it on fire with a flaming spoon before dropping in the pecans and extra chocolate bits. And there was alcohol in everything. By the end of the meal, Axel was feeling both tipsy and more than a bit stuffed.

"Come on granddad, let's go watch the show." Axel smiled as Roxas poked him with the toe of his foot. "Can you dance?"

"You wouldn't believe how well I can dance." Axel's voice was warm and full of promises. Roxas smiled, a quick, fleeting expression that lit up his face. For a moment Axel was enchanted. He'd never realized he could be this strongly attracted to another man. Was it something about Roxas or just the situation? "But is this the kind of place where two guys dance together?" That worried him slightly. He didn't want - wait, actually, a fight would be fun. Roxas just laughed though.

"Everything's flaming! Of course it is!" Axel took Roxas' hand with a smile and they went out to the dance floor. The stage was taken by a man juggling flaming brands and tossing them in complicated patterns. They watched for a moment until the music changed, starting a new song. "A tango. You know how to do a tango Roxas?" Axel asked and the blonde shook his head.

"No. Show me." Axel slid his hands across Roxas' waist and spun him onto the dance floor. It wasn't easy with an inexperienced partner, but they managed a decent tango. Axel could feel people watching but found he didn't care. It was a good feeling. "Not bad." The music changed again to a more modern song about fire and burning and Roxas grinned. "Let me show you how people my age dance!" Axel yelped as Roxas grabbed him, taking the lead, then grinned and went along with it. The kid was feisty.

He was really enjoying his first night on the town.

* * *

"Jesus, I haven't had this much fun in ages." Roxas giggled drunkenly as they stumbled off the elevator. His redheaded sugar daddy had gotten a cab to the most expensive hotel in town and rented a penthouse suite. They were going to have a whirlpool tub and a fully stocked wet bar waiting, although it might not be wise to have more booze. Roxas felt plenty loose as it was. A hangover would be coming the next day but then, did he really care?

"I haven't had this much fun since I first started dating Larx." Axel said as he fumbled with the card key, managing to miss the slot several times. "Shit I am so drunk." He finally got it in and unlocked the door. Roxas grinned and held onto him to keep from falling over. "I haven't been this drunk since - no, bad thought, bad thought." Axel mumbled to himself and Roxas wondered what he was babbling about. But he didn't care.

"Fuck bad thoughts. No, fuck me." Roxas said as he leaned closer to nibble on Axel's earlobe. The redhead started then laughed, yanking him close and pushing him against the wall. Roxas groaned as he felt the redhead's body pressed firmly against him. Hands were wandering and it just felt so damn good.

"Hey, I've never done this with a guy before. Anything I need to know? I've done anal with a girl." Axel added and Roxas tried to focus. It was hard through the alcoholic haze but he had high hopes for this, he needed to make it happen.

"Pretty much the same. Try to hit the prostate. And if you know how to jack off you can do the rest." He managed and Axel laughed warmly before catching his lips in a kiss. "I've got a condom and lube." He'd come prepared. One thing he was fanatical about was protection. Who knew where his sugar daddies had been?

"Good." Axel murmured and Roxas decided to take the initiative. He shoved the redhead towards the bed, working on opening his pants. For a moment he considered giving the man a blowjob then decided against it. He wanted to feel Axel inside him, right here and right now. Roxas swallowed as he saw that his new lover was… pretty big actually. That was promising. Axel was working on his clothing but Roxas managed to get the condom and lube out first, before his pants were kicked away. They were on the bed then and he smiled as he opened the condom, slid the plastic down slowly and teasingly over Axel's thick erection. The redhead groaned heavily as Roxas slid the lube over the smooth plastic. He was reaching back to open himself when Axel grabbed his hand.

"No, let me." Axel smiled, green eyes meeting surprised blue. "I know what to do, mostly." Roxas nodded, letting the redhead spread him, slowly stroking his erection as long, warm fingers opened him up. It felt nice, really nice. Axel really did have long fingers…

"That's it." Roxas gasped as Axel found that special spot inside him. His body was on fire, full of such need and desire… the blonde blanked out, mumbling half-formed words as Axel slowly stroked that spot again. "Yeah, do that again granddad." He finally managed to say.

"Hey, I'm not that old." Axel sounded pained and Roxas snickered before gripping Axel's cock and positioning himself. He was on top at the moment, which was how he liked it and Axel didn't seem to mind. "Ah!" Axel gasped and Roxas moaned softly as he slid down, taking the redhead inside him. He really was big and it hurt but it also felt so damn good. "Roxas, fuck! So tight…" Axel gripped his hips, urging him onwards, but Roxas took his time. Anal sex before or not, Axel was used to girls and he didn't want it to hurt too much when they -

"Ahn!" Roxas groaned as Axel thrust up to meet him, their hips slapping together as Axel brushed against his prostate, sending a jolt of almost painful pleasure through him. Axel shifted slightly, angling for that spot as they moved together. It felt so damn good and Roxas vaguely decided that Axel was just as good as Paul, no, he was better, smooth and experienced. Which was strange since he wasn't, but he was sure getting the hang of it quickly. The thrusts were long, slow and assured. Then those long fingers wrapped around his erection and began pumping him in time with each thrust…

"God, Axel!" Roxas panted as he felt like he was going to fly apart. The thick hot length inside him, the hand on his cock and the heat and pleasure were just too much. But he didn't want it to end, didn't want it to stop. Axel's lips sought out his throat and Roxas tilted his head back, giving the redhead more access. There was no thought to it at all now, just the animal pleasure. Not that there ever was much more to it. Roxas wouldn't have known what to do if there was…

"Roxas." That whisper of his name, so low and sultry took him to the edge. Trembling in pleasure, the blonde surrendered himself to the need pulsing through him. Axel pumped him through his climax, not put out at all by the messy spill across his belly and chest. His thrusts speeded up for a moment, pounding harder and faster into the blonde until he came with a grunt. Roxas smiled in pleasure as he felt the redhead pulsing inside him, finding his own release. They lay together for a long moment until Roxas slowly pulled away, sliding down beside his new lover. He yawned contentedly as Axel stripped away the condom and tossed it in the trash.

It had been a very nice night.

* * *

"Ow fuck." The next day announced itself with a mixture of blinding pain and general discomfort. Roxas shifted, wincing at the sticky, dirty feeling of really good sex. He sat up gingerly and looked down at his new lover, smiling faintly as the morning light caught bright red hair and warm skin. Axel was buried in the blankets and had a death grip on his pillow, reminding Roxas of his first lover. A teenage kid… what had his name been?

Shaking away that bit of whimsy, he started to get up but stopped as he happened to glance at the bedstand. There was a nice big glass of water and two aspirin there. "Huh." Axel must have gotten up sometime in the night and left them there for him. That was nice. Paul hadn't been anywhere near as considerate. Roxas had woken up one time to find that he'd left to go on a jog. Picking up the pills he quickly swallowed them then washed them down with a gulp of water. Checking the time he frowned. It was getting pretty late in the morning. "Axel? Axel baby, you awake?" No response. Roxas chewed his lip before lightly poking the redhead's shoulder through the blankets. "When do we need to check out?" His guess was they had an hour and a half, but he could be wrong. "Axel, come on." There was a mumbled sound of complaint and Axel rolled over, still clutching his pillow. Roxas sighed and rolled his eyes. "Wake up granddad!"

"What?" Axel grumbled, lifting his head a little. His eyes were half-slitted against the light and he reminded Roxas of a newborn kitten.

"When do we need to check out?" Roxas repeated patiently, keeping his voice low. Axel probably still had a hangover although he'd have taken some aspirin. The redhead blinked and rubbed his eyes, coming more awake.

"Twelve. What time is it?" Axel answered his own question, glancing at the clock. "Ten… huh. We should go take a bath." The redhead groaned, pulling himself out of the bed. Roxas didn't have a huge amount of sympathy. His head felt just as bad and his ass felt a whole lot worse. "It's a whirlpool tub." Axel added and Roxas grinned, stretching a bit.

"Sounds great granddad." Axel gave him a half-amused, half-irritated look but didn't protest. Roxas smiled to himself as he watched the redhead start the water running, testing the heat before adding a bit of complimentary bubble bath. He was feeling too sore to start anything at the moment, but he could always watch.

There would be time for more later.

* * *

Axel casually glanced at Roxas as they settled into the tub. Last night he hadn't been paying much attention, between the booze and the lust, but today he was curious about Roxas' tattoos and piercings.

The blonde had plenty of both. There was a tangled vine around his wrist and upper arm on his left side. There was a brightly colored butterfly on the right side of his navel. The really interesting one, though, was on his back. Axel had caught a glimpse as the blonde stepped into the tub and he was fascinated by the single angel wing on his right shoulder blade. He'd never seen a tattoo like that before. As for the piercing, Roxas' had a pierced nipple and belly button. Fortunately, he didn't have a piercing in his privates. Axel wasn't sure he could have handled that, the thought made him feel a bit ill. The redhead made a mental note to see what could be done with the nipple ring. It looked intriguing…

"You like what you see granddad?" Roxas' amused voice pulled him out of his reverie and Axel blushed, a little embarrassed. Then he laughed and made a tossing gesture, dismissing the feeling.

"Of course. If I didn't, we wouldn't be here, would we?" Roxas dipped his head, acknowledging the point before leaning back and just enjoying the whirlpool jets. Axel decided that was a good idea and let his head fall back, just enjoying the feeling. "Hey Roxas. How would you like to go to Arizona?"

"Arizona?" Roxas lifted his head, a flicker of wariness crossing his face. Axel could guess why. They had just met and the blonde really didn't know anything about him, except what he'd told him. "What's in Arizona?"

"A race track." Roxas looked confused and Axel cheerfully explained. "I told you I'm on a year long sabbatical from my marriage? I thought I would learn how to drive a race car. Would you like to go? I'll pay for everything." And it would be so nice to have someone along. Not only that, Roxas was young and in tune with things Axel hadn't been interested in for a long time. Roxas had known about the Crematorium. Sure, he wouldn't know Arizona but surely the blonde could turn something interesting up. Roxas thought about it for a moment then smiled slowly.

"Sure Axel. I'd love to go to Arizona." Axel shivered slightly at the warm promise in Roxas' voice and smiled, meeting bright blue eyes.

"Great. But lay off on the granddad thing, okay? I don't want everyone to think I'm a total perv." Roxas warm laughter filled the air and made him smile again.

"Alright… Axel." Roxas caught his hand for a moment, giving him a quick squeeze before reaching out for the shampoo bottle. "This is all the shampoo they give us? Cheap bastards."

"There's more over there." Axel chuckled and stood, going to fetch the basket of complimentary soaps and shampoos. He could feel Roxas watching him and it was a good feeling. It had been a long time since someone had looked at him like that.

He couldn't wait to see how things would go.


End file.
